Triphala
Amalaki + Bibhitaki + Haritaki
A three-fruit blend for digestion and oral health.
Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
15 verified / 15
Classification
Ayurvedic
❝
What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.
What is Triphala?
Triphala (Amalaki + Bibhitaki + Haritaki) is an Ayurvedic herb used for improved regularity / gentle laxative. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Triphala is a cornerstone Ayurvedic formula of three dried fruits, used mainly for digestion. Small trials and animal work support a gentle prokinetic/laxative effect that improves regularity, and a notable clinical finding is that triphala mouthwash matched chlorhexidine for reducing dental plaque and gingivitis. Evidence is mostly from small studies, but it is generally well tolerated.
Purported Benefits
✓Improved regularity / gentle laxative
✓Oral health (plaque & gingivitis)
✓Antioxidant
Evidence by outcome
The same supplement can be well-proven for one use and unproven for another — here is the human evidence graded outcome by outcome.
| Outcome | Evidence | Effect | Studies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral health (plaque & gingivitis, as mouthwash)Several RCTs and a meta-analysis show Triphala mouthwash matches chlorhexidine for plaque/gingivitis; trials are mostly small/single-center. | Moderate | ↑ benefit · moderate | 4 |
| Regularity / gentle laxative effectProkinetic/laxative effect is supported mainly by animal motility work, not human RCTs. | Preliminary | ↑ benefit | 1 |
| Lipid profile (LDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides)A 12-study systematic review and a men's RCT report lipid reductions, but trials vary in quality. | Preliminary | ↑ benefit · small | 2 |
| Body weight (anti-obesity)Meta-analysis of 5 oral-Triphala trials showed -2.4 kg weight loss but very high heterogeneity (I2=91%) and no BMI effect. | Preliminary | ↑ benefit · small | 1 |
| Safety / tolerabilityAqueous extract well tolerated in healthy volunteers, though in vitro CYP inhibition signals possible herb-drug interactions. | Preliminary | ↑ benefit | 2 |
Dosing & Compounds
Typical Dose
1–2 g at bedtime; as a mouthwash for oral-health use.
Active Compounds
Safety & Cautions
Loose stools/cramping at higher doses. Contains anthraquinones — avoid prolonged stimulant-laxative-style use. Caution in pregnancy and with blood-sugar or anticoagulant medication. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Triphala with any medicine.
Key Studies ★ 15 studies
meta-analysis
Anti-obesity meta-analysis (2025)
✓ Full text
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 controlled trials (n=800); pooled analysis of 5 oral-Triphala trials showed a statistically significant reduction in body weight (mean difference -2.4 kg, 95% CI -4.2 to -0.6, p=0.01, I2=91%), with no significant BMI effect.
meta-analysis
Triphala vs chlorhexidine in children (meta-analysis, 2024)
✓ Full text
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 5 RCTs in children found no significant difference between Triphala and chlorhexidine mouthwash for reducing gingivitis (p=0.83) or plaque accumulation (p=0.96), indicating comparable efficacy.
systematic review
Lipid/glucose/anthropometric systematic review (2021)
✓ PubMed
Across 12 studies (n=749), Triphala significantly reduced LDL-C, total cholesterol and triglycerides in several trials and lowered fasting glucose in diabetic (but not non-diabetic) subjects, with no serious adverse events.
RCT
Triphala vs curcumin mouthwash for gingivitis (RCT, 2024)
✓ PubMed
Randomized controlled trial found Triphala mouthwash comparably reduced plaque and gingival inflammation relative to curcumin mouthwash in gingivitis patients.
RCT
Rathod 2023 (RCT, n=24, type 2 diabetics)
✓ PubMed
Randomized trial of full-mouth disinfection in type 2 diabetic patients with stage II/III periodontitis: triphala produced probing-depth reduction (3.38 mm) and clinical attachment gain (3.39 mm) at 6 months comparable to (slightly better than) chlorhexidine (CAL gain 3.18 mm); PPD reduction significant, CAL gain difference not significant.
RCT
Padkao 2025 (phase II RCT, n=104, long COVID)
✓ PubMed
In 104 long-COVID patients randomized to control, HIIT, or HIIT+triphala (1000 mg/day) for 8 weeks, adding triphala produced no statistically significant additional reduction in inflammatory/oxidative markers (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, MDA, protein carbonyls) beyond HIIT alone, but was safe and well tolerated.
RCT
Naiktari 2014 (double-blind multicenter RCT, n=120)
✓ PubMed
Double-blind, multicenter RCT in 120 hospitalized periodontal-disease patients: triphala mouthwash significantly reduced plaque and gingival indices over 15 days versus distilled water (p<0.05) and was statistically equivalent to 0.2% chlorhexidine, with no reported side effects.
Clinical trial
Triphala vs chlorhexidine (RCT)
✓ PubMed
Triphala mouthwash was as effective as chlorhexidine against plaque/gingivitis.
Clinical trial
Safety RCT
✓ PubMed
Aqueous extract well tolerated in healthy volunteers.
RCT
Hypercholesterolemia RCT in men
✓ PubMed
In a controlled randomized trial in hypercholesterolemic men, Triphala powder reduced total cholesterol and LDL versus baseline/control.
RCT
0.4% Triphala vs 0.12% chlorhexidine in schoolchildren (RCT)
✓ PubMed
Double-blind RCT in 72 schoolchildren aged 14-15 over 90 days: 0.4% Triphala mouthwash reduced dental plaque, gingival inflammation and microbial growth comparably to 0.12% chlorhexidine.
preclinical/pharmacokinetic study
CYP enzyme inhibition / drug-interaction study (2022)
✓ PubMed
Triphala extract inhibited CYP isoforms in vitro (CYP1A2>3A4>2C9>2D6) and in rats at 500 mg/kg increased the oral bioavailability of phenacetin and midazolam by ~61% and ~41% respectively, signaling potential herb-drug interactions.
in vitro
Obese fecal microbiome/metabolome (human gut model)
✓ PubMed
Triphala extract modulated the obese human gut microbiome and metabolome in vitro, increasing beneficial taxa and short-chain fatty acid-related metabolites.
animal
Triphala churna and diabetic retinopathy (animal)
✓ PubMed
In diabetic rats, Triphala churna ameliorated retinopathy, attributed to antioxidant and anti-diabetic effects.
Preclinical
GI motility (animal)
✓ Full text
Improved gastric emptying/transit without the mucosal damage of stimulant laxatives.